Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the poet at his best

Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee died on Thursday at AIIMS hospital in New Delhi. Hindustan Times takes a trip down memory lane to look at the powerful orator and fiery poet in Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Known most widely for his poem Haar nahi maanoonga, raar nahi thanunga, kaal ke kapaal pe likhta mitata hoon, geet naya gaata hoon, Vajpayee's defiant and thought provoking poetry has inspired millions of Indians. The evocative and charming poet in Vajpayee even inspired Bollywood. From Jagjit Singh's soulful rendition of Atalji's Kya Khoya Kya Paaya to Lata Mangeshkar singing Aao man ki gaanthen khole, to Jagjit Singh music album Samvedana, Vajpayee's poetry has many admirers.